Welcome, good readers! UM is a blog about life, and the things therein. I’ve started the revamping process and plan to continue it, but we’ll see, won’t we! I intend on streamlining the articles on here, making it easier for you to read and me to write. Less stress all around. Who has time to click a bunch of links? Not me. Screw that. I will probably make whatever I’m currently into my “home page”, so that will explain the awkward bold title. Today it’s books. Check back periodically to see if I’ve kept up my end, and let me know if you have any recommendations or feedback. Also make sure you follow on Instagram or Twitter, as I’ll post new updates on there, as well. Anyway, thanks for stopping by, and feel free to leave a comment below.
- Chris
Howdy do, good readers! Along with movies, music and games, we also LOVE books. With that in mind, a book page seemed only logical. Following in the same rolling post, quick impression vein as the others on the site, we’ll be adding our thoughts and possible rambles on what we’re currently reading (or listening to.) Who knows, maybe there will be a book and blurb from a guest contributor, too from time to time. Please comment below with any ideas and opinions you may have regarding books and stories (in both print and audio form) listed here, or ones you’d like to see on the site. We’re open to anything, but you’ll surely begin to see at theme to our tastes soon enough. Please enjoy, and thank you for reading!
The Lotus and the Gathering Storm (2020)
The debut novel from Jordan is a blend of romance and fantasy, with some very distinct characters, and a well thought out world. Elves, merfolk, giant wolves and turtles inhabit the land, along with many others. Magic rules, but only slightly more than passion and desire. There are a couple of things that could be better, but overall the book had me hooked the entire time. Read the full review here.
Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror (2020)
Various Authors
(Review copy provided by Grindhouse Press via Samantha Kolesnik)
In this collection of short horror stories about vacations gone wrong, you learn about crocodile festies, cave monsters, skin-takers, and killer barracudas. Honestly, though, that doesn’t even stamp one page of this passport. There are fourteen tales included herein, and they’re all different and worth a read. My pick is “Deep in the Heart” by Waylon Jordan. You can pick the book up on July 15th, and you can read my full review here.
The Spirit (1977)
written by Thomas Page
This book, hand picked by Grady Hendrix for the Paperbacks from Hell series, is a different sort of Bigfoot story than those I’ve seen before. The story focuses mainly on two key characters: John Moon, a Native American on a vision quest, and Raymond Jason, an American on a path of vengeance. It is a good read, if a bit sloggy at times; but if you are fascinated in the least by the sasquatch legends, then you could do far, far worse than this title.
The Nest (audiobook)
Written by Gregory A. Douglas (1980)
Narrated by Matt Godfrey (2019)
Holy shit, do I love this book. Another one of the Paperbacks from Hell, this book is about killer cockroaches invading a small Maine town. It’s gory, sexy in a weird way that I’m sort of ashamed of, descriptive as hell and gross as can be. Matt Godfrey, as always, is spot on with his character reads, inflection and tone throughout the almost ten hours of listening pleasure. Buy this from Audible. Like yesterday.
Murder, She Wrote: The Ghost and Mrs. Fletcher (2015) (audiobook)
written by Donald Bain and Renee Paley-Bain (Jessica Fletcher is also listed as an author, but she’s a fictional character…)
Narrated by Sandra Burr
I’m a huge fan of Murder, She Wrote. I’ve seen almost every episode, many of them several times. It’s comforting, but also legitimately very well done. When I discovered the book series on a shelf at B&N, I was ecstatic. So far, they’re passable, but with way too much filler. It would be a better time if we could forego what percentage of milk she puts in her cereal, and that her rubber boots are from L. L. Bean. Leave that shit out, and focus on the mystery, please. Burr does a decent job at narrating and separating her character voices; J. B. in particular. Her Fletcher impression lands perfectly during dialogue, but not as much for the rest of the narration. Again, passable. With that in mind, however, it’s still worth your time if you’re a MSW fan.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (audiobook)
Written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (1990)
Narrated by Martin Jarvis (2009)
Written as a collaboration by both Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, the story focuses comedically on the coming of the apocalypse and various events associated with it. Martin Jarvis’s narration is spot on, and his character reads are wonderful. I can’t think of a better narrator for this particular style of book. Pratchett and Gaiman’s world building and scene setting are original and engaging. I did get a bit lost on a few of the descriptive rambles, but it never seemed to hinder the story. It just kept me from knowing the full scale of the specific character involved. Those parts were, for me personally, a little long in the tooth. Overall, wildly entertaining and very cleverly written.
My Best Friend’s Exorcism: A Novel (2017)
Grady Hendrix
In this nod to the 80s, Hendrix puts us in the shoes of a young girl whose best friend gets possessed by a demon. It’s gritty, witty and very well written. I screamed through the pages of this book directly after I read one of his other works, Horrorstör. If the cover alone doesn’t sell you, Hendrix’s sense of humor will.
Horrorstör: A Novel (2014)
Another Hendrix doozy. This is the first one of his that I read, and I was hooked immediately. It revolves around a crew locked in a haunted IKEA style store overnight, and it gets fucking creepy. The scene setting is fantastic, the mood in hair-raising, the humor is incredibly smart and the pages turn themselves. Read.
